Fil-Am

Director’s Bio

Ralph Torrefranca is a Filipino American award-winning writer, director and musician based in Los Angeles.

With roots in the Bay Area, Santa Barbara, The Netherlands and even Germany; Filipino-American filmmaker Ralph Torrefranca has a unique upbringing under his belt when it comes to storytelling.

His short film Champagne Social premiered at The 2019 IFS Film Festival in LA where Ralph was named “Best Director” at the fest. His feature screenplay “RIFF” also made the Top 20% of the Academy Nicholl Fellowship in 2021. Ralph’s feature script for "Fil-Am" was in the 2nd round of the Sundance Labs and was selected by Goldhouse for their Gold Pitch at Toronto International Film Festival 24'. The film is in development with Emmy Award-winning Reel Clever Films and Flashback Pictures.

Ralph is also an accomplished musician, most known as the lead singer/guitarist of the national touring post-punk band Cuffed Up (KEXP, KCRW) who were SXSW Official Artists in 2022 and 2024. He has directed numerous music videos for the band including lead singles “Finer Things”, “Bonnie” and “Mock Dance”.

With much of his childhood summers watching films at his local, Ralph was eventually given a Mini DV Sony Handycam and spent much of his early years filming DIY music videos and short films. Over the summer of his Sophomore year of High School, an intro to film class taught by Santa Barbara International Film Festival founder Roger Durling left a long lasting impression on 15 year old Ralph and subsequently his ongoing love for cinema.

With more than 19 years in the entertainment industry, Ralph has worked in Film, TV Production and Music.

Director’s Statement

“Fil-Am” is a love letter to my family, my identity, and the cultures that ultimately shaped me into who I am today. I intend to lift the Filipino American community both in front and behind the camera as that’s the true calling of why “Fil-Am” exists. The story has a bleeding heart at its core and despite the light-hearted, coming-of-age premise, “Fil-Am” is an honest telling of oppression, racism, love, family, hope, and what life can become when we can proudly belong in more than one community.

This film was made by a predominantly Filipino/AAPI cast and crew, shot on location in my hometown of Milpitas and the Bay Area, where the story originally took place. All you need to do is read the list of filmmakers below, and you’ll find a passionate group of humans who all saw a piece of themselves in the characters in our film, regardless of their background, who decided to take a few days (or even fly across the country) to bring this story into the real world.

“Fil-Am” is a proof of concept for my feature of the same name, and we hope that sharing the beginning of the story will show you the potential of what the feature film can become. The feature will star Deuce and Emerson Basco who do an incredible job leading this proof short version of the story.

Stills

Full Credits + Tech

Written & Directed by - Ralph Torrefranca

Produced by - Eden Sabolboro, Ralph Torrefranca, Daniel Cotroneo

Principal Cast - Deuce Basco, Emerson Basco, Madeleine Humphries, Hunter Stiebel, Darion Basco

Supporting Cast - Edison Medina, Alyria Suarez, Omar Rocha, Wyatt Perkins, Clark Kent P. Santos

Director of Photography - Thaad Sabolboro

1st AC - Kelsey Rivera

2nd AC - Abby Acala

Steadicam Op - Austin Fiare

1st AD - Madeline Abiera

DIT - Simon Santos

UPM - Anna Cadena

Location Manager - Frances Reyes-Bolinger

Production Designer - Mikki Mamaril

Art PA - Clark Kent P. Santos

Art PA - Precious Prado

HMU - Gwen Lucchesi

Wardrobe - Thea Calaguio

Sound Mixer - Jon Boo

Sound Mixer - Angie Lara

Boom Op - Brian Baker

Key Gaffer - Shane Louis

Key Grip - Patrick Walsh

Swing - Yolanda Ha

Grip - Bryce Myrah

Grip - Jon Sun

Script Supervisor - Marta Roncada

Set Teacher - Martha Harris

PA - Juliana Nguyen

PA - Guillermo Quintanilla

Composer - Valeri Ortiz

Score Mixed by Ethan Obbema

Score Octavina, Electric Bass - Celisse Tan

Score Guitars - Ralph Torrefranca

Sound Editor - Andrea Idioma

Supervising Sound Editor - Andrea Idioma

Re-Recording Mixer - Andrea Trinidad Idioma

Dialogue Editor - Andrea Idioma

Sound Effects Editor - Chris Stucker

Foley Services by Narra Post-Production Studios

Foley Mixer - Jose Elian Idioma

Foley Artist - Harold Elviña

Foley Artist - Edwin Pitogo

Colorist - Jacob Butler

Editor: Achim Mendoza

VFX Artist - Danny Shepard

Production Company: Reel Clever Films, Flashback Pictures, UNDRDG

Genre: Drama, Live Action Short, Narrative Short

Format: Arri RAW

Ralph Torrefranca

Logline

Screenings

Director’s Bio

Director’s Statement

Stills

Full Credits + Tech